<p>I am new to CC. I have heard that Juilliard is supposed to be the best school for kids wanting to study acting. My S did audition here because that's what we have been told. He didn't receive a callback and we are completely fine with that. He auditioned in NY for a few schools (2 American, 4 British) and realized that the school and the city was not for him. From what I have seen so far on CC most of the kids are not applying. Can anyone give some insight on this?</p>
<p>All I can say is my daughter auditioned for them and went to the callback weekend and was quite impressed with the faculty and the way they approached their training. She felt that the experience she had there, just with the callback and then the callback weekend taught her so much as an actress and a person.<br>
Although they are extremely serious and the program is rigorous she felt also a warmth and inviting feeling from the faculty. She did leave there with a very positive feeling from the program and the people there. Unfortunately she was one of three girls waitlisted there, which caused a great deal of devesatation for her.
They only took 8 BFA students this year and 10 MFA students. </p>
<p>She did get a similar feeling though at her Guildhall callback in NY. She felt that of all the callbacks these two and Mason Gross were really hands on with their approaches. I know your son is going to LAMDA which I am sure they are probably similar in experience. She couldn’t get the feel from LAMDA as the audition was quite short and there was no callback experience yet for her.</p>
<p>Juilliard has a huge application pool but it has a higher percentage of post-high school graduates – working actors and/or transfers and/or prior college degrees – than any other school. CC posters tend to be largely parents of high school students or high school students so I don’t think its too meaningful to Judge the interest in Juilliard based on CC. Plus, a lot of people understand how rare it is for a high school senior to get accepted to Juilliard and thus many don’t apply for that reason.</p>
<p>“Plus, a lot of people understand how rare it is for a high school senior to get accepted to Juilliard and thus many don’t apply for that reason.” </p>
<p>ActingDad is this some unspoken, unwritten rule. If I would have know this I would not have spent $110 on an application.</p>
<p>My daughter didn’t apply because she wanted a true college experience and although Julliard probably is considered THE acting program, it fell short in every other aspect of going to college. I think it also requires a more mature student and most 18 yr olds straight out of high school are just not ready.</p>
<p>mommadrama – if your son got into LAMDA, I hardly think it was a waste to give a shot at Juilliard. High School seniors do get accepted. Others are closer to this than I am but I think it is on the order of maybe 1-4 of the 18 person class per year.</p>
<p>MOMMY5 – I know we have disagreed on a couple of subjects but I’m with you completely on your post about Juilliard. My daughter took a flier at applying to Juilliard but it was the one rejection (she was not called back) that did not bother her at all. She is too “young” for the Juilliard experience – she knew it and they knew it – whether she wowed them or not with her monologues was probably somewhat irrelevant after the hellos.</p>
<p>I do think that in terms of the people who are going to hire you in Hollywood such as producers and studio people, and the people who are going to sign you, like agents and managers, Juilliard is very highly regarded. </p>
<p>It would be interesting to see if every graduate gets signed by an agent and the level of their agency right after graduation. If an actor has very little professional work but is signed by a big time agent I’m sure they feel the school they went to is going to help their client get seen.</p>
<p>At the callback we heard from prior students who graduated and current students and the faculty. The prior students and faculty are clear on saying not everyone gets signed right away. This we have heard at every school. The prior students did talk about the level of training and how prepared they were to enter the field. They also discussed and anyone going into this business knows that casting directors and agents don’t always necessary take the most talented actors but those that may fit a part based upon the way they look or what type may think is “hot” at the time. </p>
<p>My D who was waitlisted is a senior and she knows of at least two of the BFA students accepted that are seniors as well. There is no reason not to try, you never know. I think their reason for final callbacks is to see who can handle it maturity wise and who can work with those that are older.</p>
<p>Many programs that combine BFAs and MFAs together I believe look at the same thing. This includes of course LAMDA and Guildhall and also Mason Gross. I am not sure about CMU. So mommadrama I don’t believe your money was wasted since he already got into LAMDA which is a similar type program.</p>
<p>I’ve known of six or so students to go to Juilliard and all of them have gotten accepted as high school seniors.</p>
<p>CMU only offers MFA’s in directing, writing, design, tech. No acting MFAs.</p>
<p>Let’s put it this way. “Best” is relative, but most schools post brag sheets on their websites with a great deal of trumpeting when one of their alums scores a role on Broadway, in a major film or a series regular on television within a year of graduation. It’s so commonplace amongst graduating classes at Juilliard that they don’t need to. Is it the Indian or the arrow? Who knows? They do tend to get the pick of the litter of the arts high school kids and kids from the major theatre centers plus they have an endowment that can make it affordable … </p>
<p>And no. Not everyone who goes there moves on to have a great career. But they do at least get their shot. Look at their showcase site around midsummer when they update the resumes as to who signed where. There usually seem to be one or two who don’t get signed by good agencies and/or management companies, but the vast majority do. Like usually around 14 to 2.</p>
<p>Let’s see … Here are some links to posts from some years back by a student that pretty well jibe with what I’ve heard from people I know who went there to give you something of a peek inside …</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/957516-post628.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/957516-post628.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/957646-post632.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/957646-post632.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/962140-post639.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/962140-post639.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/135078-help-my-juilliard-audition.html#post1657494[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/135078-help-my-juilliard-audition.html#post1657494</a></p>
<p>It doesn’t matter if it’s the “best” or not. It’s great training, and more importantly, an incredible SHOT. There are zero guarantees in this business, and even most Juilliard alums don’t go on to make massive careers. But they do tend to end up matriculating a lot of working actors, the Juilliard name goes a long way, especially in the Theatre world, and the connections are impeccable.</p>
<p>There is no reason not to give it a go. Yes they absolutely do admit HS seniors, so I’m not sure where this “too young” misnomer is coming from. Juilliard’s BFA program isn’t much different than getting into one of the more highly selective MFA programs. They do not just cast actors they feel are great, they cast according to their given vision of how each class looks as a whole, as a company. Scores of truly brilliant actors are turned away merely because they just do not fit the vision of the company they’re molding for any given year. That isn’t any different than real life; your talent and skills are ultimately irrelevant if you’re just not the right fit for a role, or a company. </p>
<p>For those who even got callbacks, or your kids did, I hope that serves as an incredible point of validation. It’s truly an honor.</p>
<p>Mommadrama, your son is going to LAMDA, which is certainly in the same echelon as Julliard. You do not have to worry about either the quality or the prestige of his acting training. It sounds as though he also got admitted into a number of other top-class schools, is that right? If he is just out of high school, he must have had an absolutely INCREDIBLE audition to get into so many first class schools, because he would have been competing with folks older and probably more experienced than him. (Unless perhaps he has a lot of experience, perhaps as a child actor).</p>
<p>I hope you appreciate how utterly amazing your son’s achievements are. Many people have tried to do the same and failed.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about Juilliard. It was just not the school for him. But he has found the school that is for him, and I am sure we will be seeing a lot more of him once he becomes a professional actor.</p>
<p>KEVP</p>
<p>KEVP, yes we appreciate his achievements. The only reason that I posed this question is because he was heavily discouraged by many (counselors, acting coaches, relatives) not to study abroad. They only encouraged him to apply to schools that in their minds were the best places working actors have graduated from. We never want him to make choices based on what others feel is right for him but instead what he believes is best for him (with guidance from mom and dad of course).</p>
<p>mommadrama, why would they heavily discourage him from studying abroad? What was their reasoning? LAMDA is extremely prestigious. I agree with KEVP–it is up there with Juilliard, at least. If you look at placements both on B’way and in film (including US film), the top UK schools have a very high success rate. </p>
<p>THere are risks everywhere. I was just chatting with a mom whose daughter went to Juilliard for the BFA acting program after having earned her BA at another school. She 32 now, gorgeous (mom showed me photos)–and absolutely has not been able to land a show since graduation several years ago. On B’way it’s always between her and 2 others, and the 2 others always get it. She is very frustrated. Obviously Juilliard is at or near the top, but no program is guaranteed. LAMDA and other UK schools are excellent. I’d be interested in hearing what their exact objections are, mommadrama!</p>
<p>By the way, it isn’t really a ‘misnomer’ to say that Juilliard prefers older candidates–it’s fact. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible for a high school grad, just very unlikely. Yes, they take high school grads, but as the poster says, 4/18, less than 25%, compared to close to 100% in other highly competitive BFA programs. My own daughter didn’t apply to Juilliard after we went to see Don Giovanni at the Metropolitan in early fall, and saw the large advertisement for Juilliard’s BFA program next door–it was a photo of three current BFA students, all of whom looked easily 5 years older than she was. I mean, she didn’t feel she was ready for Juilliard anyway, so the decision was easy for her, but the picture made it final. Again, NOT to deter anyone from auditioning, and if you think you stand a shot at it, why not?–but it is good information to know; ‘knowledge is power.’</p>
<p>Yes, Juilliard is the BEST and if you don’t go there, you will never make it in the business- she writes very sarcastically! I keep saying the best school is the best school for you! Neither of my kids applied to Juilliard not because it’s not a great school because it is. When they entered college at 18, they felt they wanted a different college experience. One wanted big city (but not strictly a conservatory) and all the perks that go along with that and the other wanted a traditional college campus with sports and Greek life. Both of them are very happy and that’s all we want as parents. There is no guarantee in the entertainment business. That’s why I say get as many experiences as you can.</p>
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<p>That was never said. I am the one who use the word “misnomer”, and I’ll quote exactly what I said:</p>
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</p>
<p>I never mentioned what Juilliard “preferred”. There was too much discussion slanting toward the notion that Juilliard does not take HS seniors, which is false. I believe it was ActingDad who suggested his daughter was dismissed outright because she was senior, and looked young, and how well she did was irrelevant. This is absolutely not true of Juilliard.</p>
<p>It’s not that Juilliard prefers older actors. It’s that Juillard doesn’t prefer teenagers. That is the difference. The structure of an average BFA program attracts mostly HS seniors, and is slanted by it’s very design to attract, and thus prefer, teens. Most BFA programs are slanted disproportionately in favor of HS seniors, leaving transfer and older students vying for the slim pickings of the choice, rare slots remaining after teenagers have taken the majority.</p>
<p>Juillard asks that HS seniors join a talent pool vying for their 8-10 slots that is made up of older actors, and removes the preference they’ll get elsewhere. So obviously the competition is stiff, and older actors might come with a gravitas, strength, and overall more discernible artistic identity than a 17 or 18 year old. But this is not a purposeful slight against the HS senior, just a more level playing field for those over 18. Juillard is simply looking for the best, and don’t handicap themselves by limiting what they consider to be “the best” to 17 year olds. It’s not much different than my good friend being admitted to the very selective NYU MFA writing program, and being shocked that he, at 23 or 24, was by far the youngest person there. Yet NYU’s MFA Writing program is certainly not against early 20 somethings. No more than broadway and TV producers are against 18 year olds playing teeangers on stage, and screen, despite the fact that 20, and even 30, somethings more often land roles as teens than they do.</p>
<p>Quite a few straight-from-HS Juilliard students have passed through their hallowed doors. Too many to say that Juilliard doesn’t like young, teen talent.</p>
<p>Just to somewhat back up what I said earlier, here are some imdb profiles of some Juilliard grads that I happen to know or know of just off the top of my head all of whom graduated in the last five years and all of whom except one entered straight from high school …</p>
<p>[Ben</a> Rappaport - IMDb](<a href=“http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2999419/]Ben”>Ben Rappaport - IMDb)
[Monica</a> Raymund - IMDb](<a href=“Monica Raymund - IMDb”>Monica Raymund - IMDb)
[Justine</a> Lupe - IMDb](<a href=“Justine Lupe - IMDb”>Justine Lupe - IMDb)
[Brandon</a> Gill - IMDb](<a href=“http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2273236/]Brandon”>Brandon Gill - IMDb)
[Nicole</a> Beharie - IMDb](<a href=“Nicole Beharie - IMDb”>Nicole Beharie - IMDb)
[Brian</a> J. Smith - IMDb](<a href=“Brian J. Smith - IMDb”>Brian J. Smith - IMDb)
[Amari</a> Cheatom - IMDb](<a href=“http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3281146/]Amari”>Amari Cheatom - IMDb)
[Teyonah</a> Parris - IMDb](<a href=“Teyonah Parris - IMDb”>Teyonah Parris - IMDb)
[Liza</a> J. Bennett - IMDb](<a href=“Liza J. Bennett - IMDb”>Liza J. Bennett - IMDb)
[Nick</a> Choksi - IMDb](<a href=“http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2648933/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1]Nick”>Nick Choksi - IMDb)</p>
<p>And that’s just a small sampling restricted to film and tv work although some of them have Broadway and major regional credits, too. There are a lot of others with major theatre credits plus isolated guest stars and small roles in films as well. Actually, a friend of mine who finished in '10 jokes that the women in her class should be called “The Good Wives” because every one of them has now had a guest star on that show. The person who wrote the posts I linked found herself on Broadway in Stoppard’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll” within a few months of graduation, too.</p>